Celebrity Health - Rosanna Davison
'My recipes for inner beauty'
Rosanna Davison is a former Miss World and international model. Five years ago she went back to college to qualify as a nutritional therapist with a special focus on plant-based nutrition. Her new book Beautiful, true beauty, from the inside out is published by Gill and Macmillan. Rosanna lives in Dublin with her husband, Wes, and two dogs, Ted and Leo.
What sort of exercise do you do to keep in shape?
"I see a personal trainer twice a week and do an hour of weight training and cardio work. I am doing Pilates Plus on a proformer machine combined with squats and lunges and try to do this five or six times a week. I also do cardio work on my own on a crosstrainer or bike. I exercise six days a week. I have always done lots of sports and exercise and I find it helps me to focus on work and takes my mind off things. It’s not a chore."
What sort of foods do you eat to stay healthy?
"I eat a vegan wholefood plant-based diet. For breakfast I would make a green smoothie with ingredients such as spinach, cucumber, pineapple, blueberries etc. If I am extra hungry I would have a handful of almonds. If I’m at home I would make soup salads and curries using chickpeas, quinoa, lentils, nuts and seeds and lots of greens. For lunch and dinner I might make a batch of quinoa and vegetables. The key to this lifestyle is being well stocked and well prepared. Have snacks available such as nuts and seeds. I make my own kale crisps, eats lots of fruit such as berries and apples, make my own humous and guacamole. I make flax crackers in a rehydrator. Gluten doesn’t agree with me, or my husband, so I make my own gluten-free bread. I go to health stores to buy raw cacao powder, coconut sugar and nutritional yeast. When I started studying food and nutrition five years ago people didn’t see the connection between food and health. That has really changed."
Is it hard to be healthy when you have to travel for work?
"I don’t have a fixed schedule and I travel quite a bit so I try to be prepared. I take home-made trail mix on the plane, order a bowl of fruit to the hotel room when I arrive and talk to the kitchen about getting vegan options. It is becoming easier as people are not always eating dairy or gluten these days."
Do you take any natural supplements?
"I take vitamin B12 which is important when on a plant-based diet and D3 because we don’t get enough sun in Ireland. Also a probiotic in capsule form. I take a vegan algae-based omega 3 if my skin is looking a bit dry or I need a boost. I don’t worry about iron, calcium or protein because I get all that from my diet."
Do you ever worry about your health?
"No I don’t. Since I studied nutrition I don’t worry about it any more. I have learned what suits me and keeps me healthy."
How do you relax when you are not in the public eye?
"I meditate, hang out with friends and family, go to the cinema. There are nice restaurants which do good vegan options in Dublin – Yamamori Noodles, the Rustic Stone, Blazing Salads, Cornucopia, Avoca and I like a more local restaurant called Rasam which does Indian food."
Do you have any health tips for Rude Health readers?
- Start the day with a cup of warm water and lemon. It keeps skin clear and boosts the metabolism.
- I am a big fan of green smoothies as they mean you get a lot of vitamins and minerals in your body in one go and are perfect for people who don’t really like salads.
- Be prepared with healthy food to hand so that you don’t end up choosing the unhealthy option.
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